How SAS style unit ‘saved’ paedo Ian Watkins from gruesome death & why he was a sitting duck in ‘Monster Mansion’ jail

AN elite SAS-style unit saved paedophile rocker Ian Watkins from being murdered during a six-hour prison siege, an expert has claimed.

The former Lost Prophets front man was rushed to hospital after he was stabbed in the neck after being taken hostage by three lags.

Watkins was said to be fighting for his life after the brutal attack at Category A security HMP Wakefield in West Yorks on August 5. He is now recovering.

The Sun can now reveal that a shadowy unit compared to the SAS was sent in to save Watkins' life.

Th elite National Tactical Response Group (NTRG) was deployed to HMP Wakefield - nicknamed Monster Mansion - and successfully rescued the rocker from the cell.

A former prison officer said to The Sun: "They use the National for situations like this where lives are on the line.

"They will have opened up a Gold Command suite at head office to direct the rescue operation. The National will then have stormed the cell.

"They are trained in the use of flash bangs and can go through any door in the prison estate.

"They are compared to the SAS within the prison system. When they go in they restrain everyone in the cell, including the victim. "

Sources told The Sun that flash bangs were heard when officers stormed the cell to end the siege.

The elite National unit, based at secret locations across the UK, is specially trained to deal with riots, hostage crisis and rooftop protests.

They wear flame-proof uniforms, stab-proof vests and armoured gloves and go equipped with pepper spray, smoke bombs and batons.

Officers are trained in the use of pyrotechnics , restraint and negotiation. The unit is shrouded in secrecy to protect officers from reprisals.

The crack squad, where recruits face years of training before they make it to the front line, was used to deal with the major riot at HMP Birmingham when 500 lags went berserk.

The former prison officer also spoke to The Sun about the challenge of keeping Watkins safe inside such a volatile environment.

He said: "The problem with Wakefield is that it is absolutely chocka with very dangerous criminals. You have some of the worst of the worst in there.

"And on top of the child killers, rapists and perverts you have gangsters too.

"My view is that it was only a matter of time before Watkins was attacked.

"Even within the community of rapists and perverts some will take issue with Watkins.

"Another problem at Wakefield is the lads doing big jail do not really care what happens to them. How can you punish a lifer?

"Another point is that prison cells do not have CCTV cameras inside them. So when the case goes to court it is very hard to prove who did what.

"Even when a prisoner is murdered by other cons the case can fall over when it reaches court. You can't prove what has happened in a cell.

"Moving forward it will now be a challenge to keep Watkins safe inside the prison system. "

Watkins was jailed for 29 years in 2013 after a shocking trial for offences including the attempted rape of a baby.

He changed his plea to guilty at the beginning of the trial and admitted to trying to rape a fan’s baby and plotting to rape another infant.

He filmed himself committing sex acts on a baby boy the day after Lostprophets final album Weapons was released.

Wakefield is home to some of the country's most notorious individuals, such as Robert Maudsley.

The Liverpool man, who has killed three times within the prison system, spends his days inside a 18ft by 14ft underground Perspex box.

Maudsley is a much talked about figure within the prison system and has been compared to fictional monster Hannibal Lecter.

Little Chef waiter Jeremy Bamber, who murdered his adoptive parents, sister and nephews is also a lifer at Wakefield.

Reynhard Sinaga, known as 'Britain's worst rapist' - was sent to HMP Wakefield in 2020 after sexually assaulting up to 200 men.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “Police are investigating an incident which took place on Saturday at HMP Wakefield.

"We are unable to comment further while the police investigate."